


A Heart Won?

by IsaMal



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Original Work
Genre: Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Other, i've been writing things for my campaign and i figured i would share them with the world
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:36:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23449408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsaMal/pseuds/IsaMal
Summary: A duel lost, a date set up, and a not so peaceful night's rest.
Relationships: Original D&D Character(s)/Original D&D Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	A Heart Won?

**Author's Note:**

> Long time reader, first time poster here, so I'm still figuring things out from the author's side (advice & tips on both my writing & on using ao3 welcome!)
> 
> Quick homebrew campaign notes & pronouns:  
> -Nix (they/them/theirs) is the changeling's True Form, and Soliana (she/her/hers) is their sun elf persona who loves to knit.  
> -Relworn (xe/xym/xyr) is an eladrin  
> -Striker (he/him/his) is a kenku  
> -Striker, Nix, and Relworn are a trio of rogue NPCs, each with their own specialization

_ En guarde. Parry. Riposte. Feint. Retreat. Fleche. Parry. Recover. Parry. Riposte. Recover. Gua- dammit. _

Nix gave her an exhausted salute with their blade and bowed. Their opponent, a tabaxi woman who went by Subtle, returned the salute. She had been a fierce opponent, and, while the score had stayed even the entire time, Subtle was the better fencer in the end.

“Good match,” Subtle complimented. Nix just nodded. They were too winded for words, and they knew exactly who to blame. Striker, one of their kenku friends, had put them up to a mystery challenge, which had turned out to be a first-to-seven bout against Subtle. Striker had watched the match and kept score. 

“Your friend has a keen eye. I don’t think I’ve fought a fairer judged fight, thank you.” She saluted the kenku, who bowed in return. “And you, young Mx., you fought very well. Given the right training, you might be able to best me in a few years. Keep up the good work,” she smiled. “It pleases me to know that some of the up and coming Rogues are so skilled as you both. You with your skill with the blade, and you, my kenku friend, with your incredibly keen eye.” Nix straightened up and smiled, giving Subtle another quick bow and a shaky gesture of thanks.

“Well, I shall leave you two to your evening, thank you again for such a well fought fight.” Subtle gave them both a final salute before taking her leave.

As soon as Subtle had left, Nix wheeled on Striker. The kenku had a shit eating grin on his face, as much as a kenku could. 

“You set me up!” they signed angrily at him, “You knew I would lose!” It would take a while before Nix recovered their voice after such an intense fight. They and their friends had all made it a point to learn the sign part of Thieves’ Cant as soon as they could so that they could all still communicate after a fight. 

“It’s not my fault you didn’t know that Subtle, one of the best of the Queen’s Rogues, was in town,” he croaked. 

“You knew that there was a new shipment of yarns and dyes coming in at the same time. Soliana was distracted for a few days, and you didn’t think to tell me?” Nix crossed their arms and glared at him.

“I  _ did _ consider telling you, but she was enjoying seeing all of the new colors and patterns so I didn’t want to interrupt.” They just rolled their eyes at this. Some excuse that was. He should know that knowing one of the best of the Rogues being in town was more interesting than a new shipment of yarn.

“Here, as an apology, I’ll buy you dinner. You did manage to keep toe to toe with her,” he laughed. He did have a point, they had to admit.

“I’ll accept your apology.” He nodded.

“Get cleaned up and I’ll meet you outside your place,” he grinned.

* * *

Nix met with Striker an hour later. They were both cleaned up after a day out and about.

“I’m not talking to you, you know,” they signed, flicking Striker on the beak.

“Of course you aren’t,” he laughed. “But you get to explain to Relworn why you aren’t talking.” Nix’ eyes went wide.

“ _ You did not _ .”

“I did. Xe’s meeting us at the tavern.” They groaned and ran back up to their apartment. They returned a few minutes later wearing a slightly nicer coat and their wild ponytail transformed into a neat braid.

“You  _ asshole _ . First Subtle, now this? How could you, my own friend, do this to me?” they asked as the pair of them set off. Striker just smiled up at them. Nix glared.

* * *

The three of them were seated around a small table chatting over their dinner. Well, Relworn was chatting away after Striker had asked xym about xyr week while Nix listened. They still hadn’t fully recovered their voice after the bout, and didn’t expect to until the next morning, so they were more than willing to let xym talk on. While Relworn rambled on, Striker made his excuses and slipped away to go talk to another friend elsewhere in the tavern. Nix wasn’t sure he hadn’t set all of this up. 

“. . . So that was how my week went. How have you been, Nix?” They froze. Oh. It was their turn to talk now. “You haven’t spoken very much, and Striker’s made his excuses to get away. Did you have a good bout? Who’d Striker put you up against this time?” Relworn leaned forward, eager to hear what Nix had to say.

Oh.

Um.

“How did you know I had a bout today, and that Striker was behind it?” That was a safe place to start, right? By the Queen’s grace, they were grateful that they hadn’t fully recovered their voice after their bout because it was gone again, albeit for a very different reason.

“Nix, you know Striker as well as I do,” xe laughed. Gods, xyr laugh was pretty. “We all know you lose your voice after more intense fights, and you’ve been awfully quiet this evening. Stands to reason. So, who’d he put you up against?”

Nix glanced over at Striker. He appeared to be in deep conversation with his friend and not paying any attention at all to the pair of them. 

“Well. . . he did offer me a challenge,” they began slowly.

“And you refused to back down, like always,” xe grinned. Their face grew hot.

“Right. He put me up against Subtle, and-”

“Subtle?! Against  _ her _ ?” Relworn was aghast. “He put you up against Subtle? No wonder you don’t have your voice tonight. How on toril did he manage to get her to agree?” Nix shrugged; xyr guess was as good as theirs. Xe rested xyr chin on xyr hands. “So, how  _ did _ you do against Subtle?”

“I. . .” They hesitated. “Well, I ended up losing in the end, and-”

“Against Subtle, I’m not surprised. She’s one of the best of the Queen’s Rogues, isn’t she?”

“Y-yes, that’s true. It was first to seven, and Striker was keeping score. Subtle said that she’d never fought a fairer judged fight. We were tied six to six, but she won the last round. After the bout, she complimented me,” the words were flying quickly from their hands now, “and she said that I have potential and that I might even best her in a few years if I keep up with my training!” Their hands stilled, unsure what to say next.

“Nix, that’s wonderful!” Relworn scooped up their hands in xyr own. “I can’t believe you were able to hold your own to one of the Queen’s best!” Nix blushed and they dropped their head, looking away. Xe release their hands. They let their hands linger for a moment before pulling them back. Nix was at a complete loss of words. Xe was beaming at them, and xe looked absolutely radiant in xyr joy. 

“Is there something on your mind, Nix?” xe asked, noticing the pause.

_ ‘Yes, you,’ _ , they didn’t say. They say back in their chair, arms pulled close.

“Not comfortable with other people around?” Nix nodded, hesitantly. “Come on, we can go back to my place. It’s quiet, and it’s closer than your apartment.” Nix looked up at them in surprise. Okay, now Nix was certain that Striker had set up this entire evening.

“Striker’s got the bill, c’mon.” Xe rose from the table. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. I picked up something for Soliana while I was away last week. Perhaps I could give it to her tonight?” Their eyes lit up, and they nodded enthusiastically, getting up to follow xym. As the two of them left the tavern, Nix couldn’t help but notice the quick smiling glance that Relworn threw Striker’s way.

_ Did xe ask him to set this up? _

* * *

Relworn’s place was cozy and colorful. Nix looked around in awe. They weren’t sure what they had been expecting, but they definitely weren’t expecting so much color.

“Make yourself at home,” xe gestured to the living room area of their apartment. In front of the fireplace was a small table and a couch covered in gorgeous needlepoint throw pillows. Nix walked over and carefully picked one up.

“Did you make these?” Their voice was halting, but had somewhat returned to their surprise.

“Yes, I made these and a number of others. The one I’m working on now is-” Xe paused. “I’ve got a few more on frames in the back that I’m working on.” Nix looked up at Relworn, grinning.

“The one you’re working on now is for Striker, isn’t it?” Xe looked a little guilty. “Would you show me your current projects?” they asked, tossing the pillow they were holding at xym. Xe grinned.

“Of course! They’re through here.”

* * *

The two of them were on the couch. Relworn had xyr feet propped up on the small table and was reading a novel. Soliana was lying against xyr side, sideways on the couch, with a brand new skein of gorgeously soft off-white yarn in her lap and had cast on the beginnings of a skirt. With the gentle crackle of the fire in the fireplace, and Relworn at her back, she was struggling to stay awake.

In the end, sleep won.

* * *

She woke up in an unfamiliar place. She sat up and lunged for her weapon.  _ Where was her rapier? Where was- _ Oh.

“Soliana, are you alright?” Relworn’s voice was groggy, like xe’d just woken up.  _ That’s right. She was safe. _ There was a roof over her head and someone who would protect her at her side. (And she would protect xym with her life - almost had a few times, too.)

She hugged her ams close and took a shaky breath.

“I-I. . . I think so. I just. . . didn’t recognize where I was and panicked.”

Xe sat up.

“That’s understandable. You’ve never been here before, and you did fall asleep on the couch.” Soliana glanced over at Relworn.

“Could you, could you tell me something that only Relworn and I would know?”

Xe gave her a sad smile and did so. She sat on the edge of the bed. Relworn moved to sit next to her.

“Is there anything I can do to help, or do you want me to just be here right now?” Nix, and all her personas, were prone to panic attacks like this, especially if they found themself in a new location. 

She just curled into xyr side. Xe put a careful arm around her shoulders.

“I’ll take that as a ‘just be here’, then.” The two of them sat there until Soliana felt calm enough to go back to sleep.

* * *

_ They were being held down. Restrained. No! It was dark. Where were they?! _

Again, Nix sat up and moved for their weapon. They paused. Their ‘restraints’ fell away as soon as they moved. A gentle glow grew from behind them. They turned, cautiously. Relworn was there, sitting quietly and giving them a kind smile.

_ They were safe. They weren’t on the streets anymore. They were- where were they? _ They looked around in the soft light. This wasn’t a room they knew, and it wasn’t their bedroom. They looked back at Relworn, who was watching them patiently.

“Where are we?” they asked, hands shaking slightly.

“You’re at my place. Do you remember what happened yesterday?”

“I. . . yes. Striker, Subtle, dinner, then we went to your place. But how did I end up  _ here _ ?” They pointed to the bed. Xe laughed softly.

“We were out on the couch. Soliana was knitting with the yarn I gave her and eventually fell asleep. At some point, she said she wanted to be more comfortable, so I brought you in here. The bed is  _ much _ more comfortable than the couch, believe me.” Nix nodded slowly, smiling at that.

“What time is it?” They looked up at the curtained window. It was still dark out.

“Late, or early, depending on how you look at it,” xe smiled. “It won’t be light out for another few hours. Do you want to try to get some more sleep?”

“I would like that, yes,” they nodded.

* * *

Nix awoke for the third time that night. This time, they did not go for their weapon that was not there. This time, they rolled over and Relworn was there, fast asleep.  _ Didn’t xe normally trance? _ Xe was eladrin, after all.  _ Had xe gone to sleep for their sake? _ They closed their eyes and fell asleep.

Xe opened xyr eyes. Nix had woken and fallen back asleep, peacefully this time. Xe smiled. It was a small victory. They’d been having trouble sleeping recently. Striker lived next to Nix and the walls were thin. 

The ribbon that normally contained their unruly ponytail had come undone. They looked peaceful in their sleep. Xe carefully reached for their hand. Nix held xyr hand tight. Xe smiled.

This was such a different person from the Nix that Relworn had met years ago when they had first arrived here in Firebend. The Nix xe had met back then was incredibly slow to trust, and it was only after a number of training exercises with Striker and xymself that Nix had begun to trust the two of them.

Xe remembered the first time they laughed. Relworn had been doing a very poor imitation of something Striker had said after a particularly long training session with one of the stricter teachers. Something about the idea of a non-kenku trying to mimic a kenku had set them off, and soon all three of them had collapsed into exhausted fits of laughter. They had all been reprimanded by their teacher, but it was well worth it to hear Nix’ laugh. 

After that, the three of them were thick as thieves. 

Which, in retrospect, was probably why Striker had agreed to xyr idea and had everything set up so quickly. It was hard to hide much of anything from that kenku.

Relworn held Nix’ hand and fell back asleep.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I might be posting more of my writing for my campaign here as I write more. For now, it's going to be NPC focused until I talk to my players about sharing our campaign stories.


End file.
